Gianina Lizeth Suárez Rodríguez

Prof. Gianina Lizeth Suárez Rodríguez

Universidad Internacional SEK, Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador
orcid

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

5Years (2022-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

View All Publications
27 May 2022 in Vaccines
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
Gianina Lizeth Suárez RodríguezGianina Lizeth Suárez Rodríguez
Gianina Lizeth Suárez Rodríguez
JSJosé Gabriel Salazar
José Gabriel Salazar
JRJackson Rivas
Jackson Rivas
Alfonso J. Rodriguez-MoralesAlfonso J. Rodriguez-Morales
Alfonso J. Rodriguez-Morales
JNJuan-Carlos Navarro
Juan-Carlos Navarro
JRJosé Rubén Ramírez-Iglesias
José Rubén Ramírez-Iglesias
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a global disruption of several services, including routine immunizations. This effect has been described in several countries, but there are few detailed studies in Latin America and no reports in Ecuador. Therefore, this work aims to quantify the reduction in routine immunizations for infants during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in Ecuador. 2018, 2019, and 2020 data were obtained from the Ministry of Health, Ecuador. The number of doses and the extent of immunization coverage was descriptively compared for four vaccines: rotavirus (ROTA), poliovirus (PV), pneumococcal (PCV), and pentavalent (PENTA) vaccines. There was no significant difference in doses applied during the 2018 and 2019 years. However, a significant (p < 0.05) drop of 137,000 delivered doses was observed in 2020 compared to the pre-pandemic years. Reductions in the percentage of coverage were more pronounced for the PENTA vaccine (17.7%), followed by PV (16.4%), ROTA (12%), and PCV vaccines (10.7%). Spatial analysis shows a severe impact on vaccination coverage on provinces from the Coast and Highland regions of the country. The pandemic has significantly impacted the immunization programs for infants across Ecuador. This retrospective analysis shows an urgent need to protect vulnerable zones and populations during public health emergencies.